St. Anthony Sued By Federal Government Over Rejection Of Islamic Center

ST. ANTHONY (AP) - The federal government plans to sue the city of St. Anthony for rejecting a proposed Islamic center a couple of years ago.

U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger is set to formally announce the civil rights lawsuit at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. The announcement follows a recent notice of intent to sue sent by the U.S. Department of Justice alleging religious discrimination.

A spokeswoman says the U.S. attorney's office in Minneapolis tried to reach an out-of-court agreement with the parties during a two-year investigation.

St. Anthony's city council voted 4-1 to reject the proposed Abu Huraira Islamic Center, saying a religious and cultural center wasn't compatible with the site's light-industrial zoning. More than 150 people attended the meeting, some of whom spoke out against the center.